Feed water heater



Dec. 22, 1931. T. c. M BRIDE FEED WATER HEATER Filed Sept. 10

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. MCBRIDE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WORTHING- TON PUMP AND IvIAGHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA I FEED WATER HEATER Application filed September 10, 1930. Serial 'No. 480,841.

This invention relates to feed water heating apparatus and more especially to feed water heaters of the type disclosed in my companion application filedJune 4th, 1926,

Serial No. 113,620.

An object of the present invention is to provide in a feed water heating apparatus means controlled by the over-flow of excess water from the heating chamber for controlling the supply of fresh or cold water to the in turn, controls the supply of cold water to the heating chamber by controlling the discharge from the cold water supply pump.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a'feed water heater of the preferred form embodying the inven. tion, and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section through the feed water heater showing the improved cold water supply control means associated therewith. Figure 2 is a fragmentary section through the feed water heating. apparatus taken on the line 22 of Figure 1. I

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved feed water heating apparatus comprises the heating chamber 1 into which the cold water is delivered by the sprayer 2 and in which the cold water entering the chamber in sprays contacts with steam, preferably the exhaust steam from a steam engine or other mechanism which enters the chamber 1 through the passageway 3.

The supply of cold water is from any suitable reservoir or container (not shown) through the pipe 4 to thesuction ofthe cold water supply pump 5 which is illustrated as a centrifugal pump; The cold water supply pump5 dischargesthrough the pipe or pas: sageway 6 into the passageway 7 formed in the casting or housing 8 of the control mechanism. A plunger or piston valve 9 is mounted within the bore of the housing 8 which, when in its lowered position opens communication between the passageway 7 and the openingl2 to permit the cold water to pass through the. control valve mechanism, and into the chamber 13 whichdelivers the cold supply water to the sprayer 2. The valve piston 9 is urged into its downward position, to permit the fiow' of cold water into the chamber 13, by a spring 141 the tension of which may be regulated by a suitable manually operated tensioning device 15 of any approved construction.

Owing to variances in the condensation of steam in the chamber 1 a varying quantity of excess water will be provided in the chamber 1 and to prevent impairment of the efficiency of the operation of'the heater by an accumulation of excess water in the heater, and maintain a constant water level therein, an overflow pipe 16 is provided which rises in the chamber 1 and into which any excess of water flows. The excess water passes through the over-flow pipe 16 to the suction or inlet of a return pump 17 which returns this excess water to the heating chamber through its inlet, thereby preventing the loss of the heat which has been absorbed by the excess water as well as preventing the waste of such water. The return pump 17 discharges into a chamber 18 and through a check valve 19 into the passageway 13. The chamber 18 has a lateral extension 20 which extends beneath the pie ton 9 of the cold water supply control valve structure so that the pressure of the return water will act on the piston 9'against the tension of the spring 14 to move the piston 9 for controlling the quantity of cold Water delivered to the passageway .13. Vhen the water level is low in the heating chamber 1 there will be no water over-flow to the return pump 17 and its discharge pressure will be low which will permit the valve piston 9 to move under action of the spring l i andpermit an increased flow of supply water from the cold water supply pump 5 to the heating chamher 1.

A check valve 21 is provided at the communication between the pipe 6 and passageway 7 which prevents the back-flow of water through or to the supply pump 5 when there is a high pressure of exhaust steam in the chamher 1 and the pumps are not operating. The check valve 19 prevents cold water being pumped into the heater from being forced through the chamber 18 into the pump 17 when the quantity of excess water falls below the amount required to supply such water to the pump 17.

A pipe 22 communicates withthe interior of the bore 01 valve chamber of the housing 8 and with the interior of the chamber 1, preferably at the top of said chamber so as to permit any water which might leak past the valve piston or plunger 9 to pass into the heating chamber and be heated.

- From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that a control mechanism has been provided by means of which the quantity of over-flow of excess water from the heating chamber 1 of the heater will control the supply of cold water to the heating chamber; the supply of cold water being regulated in reverse proportion to the quantity of over-flow of excess water returned to the heater in that the movement of the valve piston or plunger 9 will be regulated by the pressure of the returning over-flow water.

' It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown but that these may be modified widely within the invention defined by the claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. In a feed water heating apparatus, a heating chamber, means for supplying cold water to said heating chamber, means for re-. turning excess water tothe heating chamber and means operated by the returmng excess water for controlling the supply of cold water to the heating chamber.

2. In a feed water heating apparatus, a heating chamber, means for returning excess water from the heating chamber to the inlet of the heating chamber and means operated bythe pressure of the returning excess water for controlling the supply of cold water to the heating chamber.

3. In a feed water heating apparatus, a heating chamber, means for returning excess water from the heating chamber to the inlet of the heating chamber and a valve operated by the pressure of the returning excess water for controlling the supply of cold water to the heating chamber.

4. Ina feed water heating apparatus, a heating chamber, means for returning the overflow of excess water from the heating ber, a valve for controlling the supply of cold waterto the heating chamber, means for urging said valve to open position to permit the flow of cold water tot-he heating chamber, said valve being acted upon by the pressure of the returning excess water to move it for regulating the supply of cold water in inverse proportion to the quantity of returned e excess water. a

6. In a feed water heating apparatus, a heating chamber, a centrifugal pump for supplying cold water to said chamber, means for returning excess water from the heating chamber to the inlet of the heating chamber and means operated by the pressure of the returning excess water for controlling the quantity of cold water supplied by said centrifugal pump,

7. In a feed water heating apparatus, a heating chamber, a cold water supply pump and a return pump for taking excess water from the heating chamber and returning it to the inlet of the heating chamber, and means operated by the pressure of the excess water as discharged from said return pump 'for controlling the quantity of water delivered to the heating chamber by said cold water supp y p p- 8. In a feed water heating apparatus, a heating chamber, a cold water supply pump and a return pump for taking excess water from the heating chamber and returning it to the-inlet of the heating chamber, a valve for controlling the quantity of water delivered to the heating chamber by said cold' water supply pump, said valve being acted upon by the water discharged by said return pump for regulating the quantity of cold water delivered to the heating chamber in inverse proportion to the quantity of excess water returned to the heater.

9.'In a feed water heating appaartus, a heating chamber, a cold water supply pump and a return pump for taking excess water from the heating chamber and returning it to the inlet of the heating Cl12L111l3Gl,'2t valve for controlling the quantity of water delivered to the heating chamber by said cold water supply pump, said valvebeing acted upon by the water discharged by said returnpump for. regulating the quantity of cold water delivered. to the heating chamberin inverse proportion to the quantity of excess water returned to the heater, and means for urging said valve into position to permit the maximum quantity of cold Water to be delivered to said heating chamber.

10. In a feed Water heating apparatus, a

heating chamber, a cold Water supply pump and a return pump for taking excess Water from the heating chamber and returning it to the inlet of the heating chamber, avalve for controlling the quantity of Water delivered to the heating chamber by said cold Water supply pump, said valve being acted upon by the Water discharged by said return pump for regulating the quantity of cold Water delivered to the heating chamber in inverse proportion to the quantity of excess Water returned to the heater, a check valve for preventing backfiow of water through said cold Water supply pump, and a second check valve 0 in the path of discharge of said return pump.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

THOMAS C. MCBRIDE. 

